By Admin 
Amidst the hustle and bustle of T20 World Cup 2026, another big news has come out for Indian cricket fans. After IPL 2026, the Indian team will be ready for a new challenge at home in the month of June. This time Team India is going to face Afghanistan, which is going to be special in many ways.
Bilateral ODI series will be held for the first time
Till now, the Indian team has played ODI matches against Afghanistan many times on big platforms like ICC Tournament and Asia Cup, but no bilateral ODI series has been played between the two countries till date. This is the reason that this three-match ODI series to be held in June 2026 will be recorded for the first time in history.
This tour will start with the only test match. Both the teams will face each other in New Chandigarh between June 6 and June 10. This will be only the second test match between India and Afghanistan. Before this, only one Test was played between the two teams, which took place in the year 2018. Not only this, this test of 2018 was also the first test in the history of Afghanistan cricket.
ODI action will start in June
After this test match, a historic ODI series will also be played between the two from June 14. Whose first match will be played in Dharamshala, while the second match will be held in Lucknow and the third match will be held in Chennai. This series can prove to be a big test for the Afghanistan team, because they will get a chance to play against India, one of the strongest teams in the world, on their soil.
India-Afghanistan ODI schedule
- First ODI match: 14 June 2026, Dharamshala
- Second ODI match: 17 June 2026, Lucknow
- Third ODI match: 20 June 2026, Chennai
For Team India, this series is being considered as the first step towards the preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup. This will be a great opportunity to try new strategies and players in home conditions.
Return of senior players possible
This series may also see the return of experienced players of the Indian team. Veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can be seen on the field again. However, the official announcement of the team has not been made yet. It is believed that the team will be announced by the selectors after the conclusion of IPL 2026.